Aeroplane structure



April 1926. G. ZIMMERMANN AEROPLANB STRUCTURE Filed July 11. 1925 7 IN l/E/VTOR A TTOR/VE I Cal Patented Apr. 6, 1.926.

UNITED STATES j PATENT OFFICE.

PA L, G. znrmnmuNN, or xu'zron'r, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB 'ro mnomnm I PLANE & moron COMPANY, 01 Nnw roux, N. Y.; a'conrona'rroN or NEW YORK.

AEBOPLANE STRUCTURE. '4

Application filed July 11,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL G. ZIMMERMANN, a citizen of the United States and aresident oj'Keyport, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a newand useful Aeroplane Structure, of which the followin is a specification. v

The invention relates to metal aeroplane or flying-boat construction, and particularly to surfaces, such as, specifically, the elevator and the vertical and horizontal stabilizers of the tail. The object is to secure a high degree of lightness and stren -h for such parts, with facility of menu acture; and this is accomplished by means of certain elements and forms combined for special advantage in a type of construction novel in the art. I

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, the invention is illustrated as an elevator frame;.. and'in the said, drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is'a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig, 1; 5- N Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-8 ofF1'g.1;-

Fig. 4 is a'sectionalvviewon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and v Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig.1.

The elevator frame selected" for illustration has a hollow main member consisting of a straight tube 2, forming the leading edge. Eye-bolts 3 inserted througl-r'this tube at intervals afl'ord means for hingi-ng the elevator to the trailing edge of; thefhorizont-al stabilizer (not-shown); y

The trailing edges,iouter and inner, of the elevator frameiard foi'med of small tubes 4, 5. The tubes 4 change from fa roundsection to a flattened elliptical section between the points .1 and y].

lnteriorly the frame is comprised of light ribs, consisting of fore and aft members 6,

plane plates 9 ap lied at opposite si 1923. Serial No. 650,768.-

transverse members 7, and. diagonal members 8. The members 6 are continuous'and the members 7 and 8 are spliced at the junctions, which consist of pairs of small s aced the frame to sur aces of the ribs.

The ribs are constructed of thin material made into flat angular sections, cOmprisin web walls 10,- depthwise of the frame, an face walls 11 lying in spaced planes and havin the plates 9 riveted to them. An open si ed box rib consisting of a wall 10 and two walls 11 extending in one direction therefrom, and bent again at the edges, formin lips' 12, is of es ecial advanta e. The ribs decrease in p e minor edge members 4, 5,- this being accomplished b tapering the webs 10 so thatthe face we s 11 converge, and the/tapering in the several parts is so related that the face walls of the members meetingiat a junction are flush with each, other at opposite sides, that is to say at and bottom, so that the plates 9 lie flat upon the meeting walls, to which they are riweted I Other riveted junction plates 13 and 14 unite theribs with the members 2, 4 and 5.

Various forms of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. 7

What I claim as new is j In aeroplane construction, a metal elevator or like frame com rising major and minor edge members, an a s stem of intersectin ribs of thin material ormed into/web an face walls, with pairs of plane, spaced unction-plates embracing the joints and united at'opposite sides to said face walls, the l'lbS decreasing in depth from the major to the e'pth from t a .main edge member 2 to t es'ot minor edge members in such manner that the face walls of the rib members meetin at the several junctions are flush with eac forming flat seats for the lates.

PAUL G. ZI MERMANNQ other; 

